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Extra water continuing to gush down Puntledge River

BC Hydro is extending the high-water release down the Puntledge River from Tuesday through Friday this week.

BC Hydro is extending the high-water release down the Puntledge River from Tuesday through Friday this week to deal with the significant water inflows flowing into the Comox Lake Reservoir.

BC Hydro continues to advise the public of the high river flow conditions and to stay out of the Puntledge River.

BC Hydro initiated the high water release last week and this resulted in the reservoir level slightly lowering into the weekend.

However, a rainstorm hit and added to the significant water runoff from snowmelt. This translated into more water coming into the reservoir than was being discharged from the dam downstream, with water inflows on Sunday being around 115 cubic metres per second (m3/s).

BC Hydro has been releasing up to 110 m3/s since Friday and will maintain that level. Forecast inflows into the reservoir will be decreasing through the week to just below 50 m3/s by this Friday.

The Comox Lake Reservoir was at 134.9 metres deep early Monday afternoon, or about 40 centimetres from free-spilling over the Comox Dam.

BC Hydro plans to decrease the water discharge from the Comox Dam on Saturday morning so that river conditions are back to the 32 m2/s range for the Victoria Day long weekend. BC Hydro will update the community should there be any operational changes. There is no risk for downstream flooding.

— BC Hydro